Watch-movement.



W. B. MBHL. WATCH MOVEMENT. rrmouron FILED mm: a, 1909.

Patented Jan 11,1910.

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WALTER B. M HI, OF VJALTHAM, lJIASSACHUSETTS, AFSIGNDR TO EHILADELPHIA\VATCI-I CASE COMPANY, OF RIVERSIDE, NEVJ JERSEY, A. CGRPGRATION OF NEWJERSEY.

WATCH-MOW EMENT.

Application tiled June 8, 19GB.

Patented J an. 11, 1910.

Serial No. 593,966.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, antra: 13. Mind, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Waltham, in the county of hfliddlesex and State oflvlassachusetts, have made and invented certain new and usefulimprovements in atch-Movements, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in watch movements, and moreparticularly to that part or portion of the movement generally known andreferred to as the click, comprising the winding wheel, ratchet wheel,and ratchet wheel click, the object of the invention being to provide aconstruction which will be cheap and economical to manufacture, theparts or which may be easily, readily and quickly assembled, and whensembled, will operate with the desired eti'ect and )recision.

d 1th these and other ends in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View of a part of a Watchmovement, illustrating in plan the construction and relative positionsof the winding wheel, ratchet wheel, and click, these parts being shownin their normal positions. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the ratchetwheel and click in their relative positions while winding. Fig. 3 is asectional View taken" on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.. Fig. 4 is a view of apart of the top plate, the click being removed.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents the top plate of a watchmovement, to which are pivoted the winding wheel. 6 and the ratchetwheel 7. In this top plate is formed the slot 8 (Fig. 4), the extremeinner end 9 of which slot extends at an angle to the slot 8 and radialto a point on the head of the screw 10 passing through the pillar 11,and serving to assist in holding the top plate 5 and dial plate 12 intheir proper relative positions. In this slot 8 formed in the top plate5, fits the hub 13, being provided with the head or flange 15 for thepurpose of preventing the click from accidentally leaving the slot 8when assembled, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, when the parts are in their normal positions,the winding wheel 6 meshes with the ratchet wheel 7, the latter meshingwith the click or pinion 14, the latter being held in this position bymeans oi? a spring 16, one end or which is secured to the under side ofthe top plate 5 by means of the screw 17 and pin 18, the opposite freeend of the spring bearing against the flanged end 15 of the hub 13formed on the click 141, as before described, the tendency of thisspring being to retain the click 1 1- in mesh or engagement with theratchet wheel 7.

As clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the pinion orclick 1% has a part or motion of its ieriphery formed plain, that is, isminus several teeth, preferably two in number, although the extent ofthis plain edge will largely depend upon the extent of travel to begiven the click during the act of winding. I

In operation, when. the ratchet wheel 7 is rotated on its pivot screw 19in the direction as indicated by the arrow, (Fig. l), as in the act ofwinding. the pinion or click 14; meshing with it, will also be rotated,the hub 13 turning or rotating in the slot This rotation of the clickwill be continued until the tooth 2O strikes the head of the screw 10,that is, that point on the head ot the screw to which the end 9 of theslot is radial, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The con tinued rotation of theratchet wheel 7 will then cause the click to be forced downtrom the slot8 into the radial, portion 9 thereof, in order that the points or thetieth on the ratchet wheel 7 may clear the teeth on the click 1st, andthereby permit of the continued rotation of the ratchet wheel 7, and thewinding the main spring, (not shown). lVhen, however, the rotation ofthe ratchet wheel 7 is discontinued, the latter, as usual, slightlyrecedes or rotates in the opposite direction, thereby permitting thespring 16 to force the hub of the click back into the slot 8 and theteeth of the click to again mesh or engage with the teeth on the ratchetwheel 7. As the ratchet wheel '7 recedes or rotates in the oppositedirection from that as indicated by the arrow, the pinion or click 1%will also be turned thereby in the opposite direction until the tooth 21assumes its normal or original position against the head out the screwlO, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the several parts again occupying therelative positions as illustrated in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the ratchet wheel 7is turned in the act of winding, the click 1% will be rotated in theslot 8 until the tooth 2O strikes the head of the screw 10, the clickbeing then forced into the radial portion of the slot 9. Upon releasingthe strain on the ratchet T, the click returns to its normal position,the amount of travel or the click in either direction being whollygoverned by the extent of its plain periphery or edge. Should it bedesired, this click may be formed minus three or more of its teeth, butin practice I have found that the space equivalent to two of the teeth,is sutlicient for all purposes.

It will be further understood from the foregoing, that the invention isexceedingly simple in construction, and that the parts may be easily,readily and quickly assembled, it being necessary only to slide the hub13 of the click 1% into position in the slot 8- prior to attaching theratchet wheel 7 in position on the top plate, the spring 16, of course,being first attached in its proper position on the under side of the topplate 5; furthermore, it is very effective, in that any amount ofreceding movement of the click may be provided for whereby to avoid thelocking of the main spring at the extreme end oi its wind, and permit ofa receding movement of the ratchet wheel, whereby to relieve the mainspring of its greatest tension.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a watch movement, the combination with a top plate 5 having a slotformed therein, of a ratchet wheel pivoted to said top plate, a pillarscrew passing through said top plate, a click movably mounted in saidslot and meshing with said ratchet wheel, said click having a portion ofits periphery plain and engaging with said pillar screw, and a springfor normally hold ing said click in engagement with said ratchet wheel,substantially as described.

2. In a watch movement, the combination with a top plate formed with anangular slot, of a pillar screw passing through said top plate andlocated radially to one portion of said slot, a ratchet wheel pivoted tosaid top plate, a click provided with a hub fitting in said slot andmovable therein in a direction away from said ratchet wheel, said clickhaving a portion of its periphery plain, and a spring for normallyholding said click in engagement with said ratchet wheel, substantiallyas described.

3. In a watch movement, the combination with a top plate provided withan angular slot, of a click having a portion of its periphery plain andmounted and rotating in said slot and movable therein, a pillar screwpassgages said click, a ratchet wheel pivoted to said top plate, and aspring normally holding said click in engagement with said ratchetwheel, whereby when said ratchet wheel is rotated said click will alsobe rotated thereby until forced out of engagement therewith,substantially as described.

I. In a watch movement, the combination with a top plate provided withan angular slot, of a pillar screw passing through said plate and havingone point of the head thereof radial to said slot, a toothed clickmounted in said slot and having one. portion of its periphery plain, thetooth on either end of said plain portion adapted to engage with saidpillar screw, a ratchet wheel pivoted to said top plate and normallymeshing with said click, whereby when said ratchet wheel is rotated,said click will also be rotated in said slot the distance from the toothat one end of said plain portion to the tooth on the opposite end ofsaid portion, said click being then caused to recede in said slot untilout of engagement with said ratchet wheel. and a spring for returningsaid click to its normal position in engagement with the ratchet wheelwhen rotated in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

5. In a watch movement, the combination with a top plate provided with aslot. one end of which is formed at an angle with the main portion ofthe slot, of a ratchet wheel pivoted to said top plate, a toothed clickmounted and rotating in said slot and adapt ed to travel therein andnormally meshing with said ratchet wheel, a portion of the periphery ofsaid click being plain. a pillar screw passing through said top plateand with which the teeth bounding the plain portion of the periphery onsaid click are adapted to engage when said click is rotated in oppositedirections, and a spring secured to said top plate and engaging withsaid click to normally hold it in engagement with said ratchet wheel,whereby when said ratchet wheel is rotated in one direction, said clickwill also be rotated until one of the teeth thereon engages with saidpillar screw, whereupon said click will be caused to travel into theangular portion of said slot and out of engagement with said ratchetwheel, and when said ratchet wheel is rotated in the opposite direction,will be forced into engagement therewith by said spring, and rotateduntil the tooth at the opposite end of the plain portion of theperiphery of the click engages with the pillar screw, substantially asdescribed.

Signed at \Valtham, in the county of Mid dleseX and State of hIassachusetts.

IVALTER B. MEHL.

Vitnesses ing through said top plate, with which en- E. R. Snow, IV. C.Coon.

